Findings from new study at University of Illinois

The study, which uses a new model of implanting human stem cells into mice, is the first to link early-life BPA exposure to human prostate cancer. It adds to a growing body of research that suggests exposure to low doses of the chemical alters cells and can lead to diseases later in life.

Road salts polluting rivers

In icy Wisconsin, where salt is liberally dumped on roads, the Menomonee and the Kinnickinnic have chloride levels in late winter and early spring 10 to 15 times higher than a federal level set to protect fish, amphibians and tiny crustaceans.

Hormone-blocking chemicals found in First Nations families

Mothers and children of a First Nations tribe living in one of Canada’s most industrialized regions are highly exposed to estrogen-blocking chemicals, according to a new study, which may help shed some light on why the tribe has an unusually low percentage of baby boys.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that current testing of hormone-altering chemicals is adequate for detecting low-dose effects that may jeopardize health. It comes in response to a report written last year by 12 scientists who criticized the government’s decades-old strategy for testing the safety of many chemicals found in the environment and in consumer products.

More than 50,000 high-polluting diesel engines have been cleaned up or removed from U.S. roads in a federal program designed to reduce smog and greenhouse gases, according to a new Environmental Protection Agency report to Congress.